Broken Wing
by Death'sAngel18
Summary: The gang gets together to try to defeat the Originals with a lost device made my John Gilbert that seems to have fallen into the hands of a mysterious man from Damon's past. Damon's secrets come to light and everyone must learn to deal with this new image of Damon while Damon faces the man who broke him. Warnings: Abuse, Rape, Violent language. One-shot.


_**Broken Wing**_

"Bonnie, are you absolutely sure you know what you're doing?" Stefan asked for the hundredth time that day. His hands were folded together tightly, his forehead a mess of brooding wrinkles. Had his older brother, Damon, been there he would have mocked Stefan incessantly about his "brooding face," as Damon eloquently called it.

Bonnie, rolled her dark brown eyes at her over protective friend. "Stefan, I'm not some silly girl messing with magic. I'm an experienced and seasoned witch, from a very long line of powerful witches. Of course I can do this," she said, which of course would have sounded more convincing had she not said all of that through the cherry lollipop she was sucking on.

Stefan was about to interject his opinion again when a small white hand rested on his shoulder, calming him instantly. He turned to smile at Elena, kissing her sweetly on the lips in greeting.

"We'll be fine Stefan. But we need to find out who this is," Elena reassured him with her own very subtle and much cuter worry brow.

Stefan nodded in defeat and handed over the journal he had dug up from his father's, Giuseppe Salvatore's, grave. They were working on how to get back an important family heirloom that was rumored to have a powerful effect on Originals. Of course Giuseppe was the last person rumored to have it, so they dug up his old journals to track down the relics whereabouts only to be greeted by a dead end. Damon had left on a lead a few cities over about an acquired item that seemed to be part of the Salvatore family history.

Ever since he had left they had been looking well into Giuseppe's journal trying to find some information on the weapon until they hit a wall. The same dead end they all seemed to stop on was a man named Jeremiah. Giuseppe hadn't mentioned a last name or who the man was. There were only vague entries of this man and his qualities. As Giuseppe described it he had an incessant ability to stick his nose in to every matter under the Salvatore roof, even the entirety of Mystic Falls. This Jeremiah seemed to know about the Council and vampires all though it was clear he wasn't a founder of Mystic Falls. There was no mention of where he came from, only that he appeared. There was no mention of family or relatives. There was however a mention of his business in Mystic Falls and that was for the relic they were all currently researching for.

In Giuseppe's journals he recounted tales of his weariness to trust the strange man. Giuseppe felt strongly about keeping their little town secret to themselves, including their meetings and their weapons. Over time though Giuseppe recounts Jeremiah's determined behavior and his bravery when Giuseppe met his first 'demon' as Giuseppe named it. Jeremiah seemed to have killed this vampire with a broken off tree branch when they encountered it while strolling around the Salvatore property. From their trust grew but no more entries were made of Jeremiah after this. They cut off rather suddenly as Giuseppe was describing a break through with the weapon.

Now it was agreed upon by the gang that Giuseppe must have given Jeremiah the relic as it was not found in Giuseppe's grave or the Boardinghouse. The strange part of the matter is that Stefan could barely recall this Jeremiah. Sure, he recognized the name and a blurry image of the man seemed to appear but nothing more. He must have been around eleven when Jeremiah first appeared.

Damon left before they could ask him what he knew of the man and he wouldn't pick up their many calls. Alaric dove into the history of the town and could find no more mentions of Jeremiah then random bits of useless information. So they had decided to preform a spell and Bonnie would conjure up the memories of this deceased Jeremiah of the time he was in Mystic Falls to see exactly what happened to the relic.

"Everyone gather around," Bonnie ordered in a confident voice as she prepared the living room for the spell. Candle light flickered across the group's face as they settle in a circle around the center of the living room.

"Take hands," Bonnie instructed in a cool voice, calm and compelling. They joined hands and Bonnie started to chant. The air changed around them, powered with energy, practically crackling with it. Bonnie's chanting grew faster, the energy picked up. Stefan whispered something reassuring to Elena as she gripped his hands. Alaric shot Jeremy a look showing him everything would be okay as a small line of blood seeped from Bonnie's nose as she struggled under the oppressive magic.

A light flashed, a scream ripped through the air, and everything went dark. Light came to each individual slowly as they regained their bearings. They were no longer in the Salvatore Boardinghouse. Of course they were all told to expect this as they were viewing Jeremiah's memories as if they were back in time, but it was still a shock to be one place one minute and another the next.

They all looked around while making sure everyone was unharmed. Bonnie told them they would be invisible to everyone else, spectators watching the past as it unfolded in front of them. Every detail, ever word spoken by these people was playing in front of them.

They were outside of an impressive Southern mansion with tall white walls. A man walked up to this mansion. He was tall and lean, though obviously strong as he hefted a large suitcase behind him. His skin was sun tanned about to reach the stage of burnt. He wore an old Southern looking hat over a mess of dark curls that were plastered with sweat under the relentless summer sun in Virginia. He walked up to the door and rapped the solid oak three times.

Immediately a woman opened, obviously a slave as you could see by the rags she wore and her skin color.

"I would like to speak with Mr. Salvatore," he said with an air of nonchalance strolling past the woman and setting his suitcase down. Rather than arguing with a white man the slave hurried off in pursuit of her master. The man looked around the impressive decorum of the mansion.

"This is my home," Stefan said in wonder as he stared around his childhood home filled with a sense of longing and a deep ache inside of him as he thought of the cleared spot of woods back in 2012 where this beautiful mansion would end up over a century from now.

"It's beautiful," Elena murmured to him, realizing how sacred this must be to Stefan, to see his home again after so long.

"Ah, Mr. Salvatore. Or may I call you Giuseppe. Pleased to meet you, I am Jeremiah Smith," Jeremiah extended his hand which Giuseppe to hesitantly. Giuseppe was a tall man and Stefan seemed to take after him with his light brown hair and deep dark eyes compared to Damon's bright blue eyes.

"Pleasure. May I ask why have you come here," Giuseppe asked regarding the man's suitcase suspiciously.

"I've heard you have a little infestation problem down here in Mystic Falls. I've come to offer my services," the man leered, smirking as Giuseppe squirmed.

"Infestation?" Giuseppe repeated guardedly.

"Blood suckers," Jeremiah replied loudly and Giuseppe's eyes darted around looking for his sons hoping they hadn't heard. He liked to keep the ignorant from the danger of the demons roaming their town.

Giuseppe cast another glance at the strange man before him. "Would you care for a place to stay Mr. Smith? He asked his voice tight. His gesture was not for kindness but to pick the brain of someone outside of the founders who knew of the vampires.

"Yes, thank you. Please call me Jeremiah. I just know we'll be as close as family Giuseppe."

The gang kept watching tirelessly as Jeremiah slowly made his way into the council and learned of Johnathon's latest invention, the weapon they were looking for. Most of the memories were useless here and what didn't directly regard the council or the Salvatores was not viewed by the onlookers.

Finally they came across a memory that featured a young Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Giuseppe introduced the man that was staying with him to his young son's snapping at Damon to stand up straight and overlooking Stefan's slouched posture. Stefan was barely eleven with chubby little cheeks, long messy brown hair and dark brown eyes gazing curiously at the interesting man.

But Jeremiah only had eyes for the sixteen year old Damon. He was thoroughly interested in the young teenager who at sixteen was the definition of handsome. Of course he had a long way to go before the beauty of the twenty-two year old Damon came around but he was still defiantly gorgeous with perfect black hair, big bright blue eyes, flawless skin, and a lean composure like a lazy cat waiting to pounce. This younger Damon regarded the other man with suspicion as he offered Damon his hand.

"How do you do my boy?" Jeremiah asked Damon leaning in to his conversation with the boy blocking out young Stefan and Giuseppe.

"Pleasant, and you," Damon returned stiffly, the forced conversation painfully polite all though it was clear to everyone in the room except for young naive Stefan that Damon distrusted this man thoroughly.

"I would be better if you could entertain a fellow with a walk around the grounds. I get quite bored but once my eye catches something I'm reeled in." Jeremiah requested with leering smile, his eyes bright and malicious.

Damon opened his mouth to protest when Giuseppe turned his steely eyes on his son with fury written on his face when he saw the 'no' forming on his eldest lips. "He would be delighted Jeremiah, enjoy yourselves," he directed at Damon making the pleasantry sound like a threat, which of course it was.

Damon slumped defeated, scowling at both men and only straightened to apply a plastered grin when his father stepped towards him menacingly.

"I don't like him," Elena whispered, her eyes narrowing as Jeremiah places a heavy meaty hand on the lower of Damon's back. He all about forced Damon out the door and out onto the grounds.

They followed the two out the door and around the Salvatore property as Jeremiah made meaningless chit-chat with Damon who looked uninterested and quite irritated.

Just as Jeremiah was about to regale a fascinating tale of his many adventures in Europe a few years before Damon interrupted him.

"Did you hunt vampires in Europe as well, or do they like to stick to America?" his voice was nonchalant as could be, his eyes cool as he pointed them ahead never faltering in his step.

Jeremiah stopped mid sentence but kept walking at a steady pace besides Damon. If he was shocked that Damon knew of vampires when Giuseppe has reassured him that his boys knew nothing, he didn't show it.

"I've seen a few in Europe, but more in America. They seem to think we're easier prey out here than in the Motherland," Jeremiah answered just as casually, almost like a test.

Damon nodded whether in agreement or in acknowledgment.

"How long have you known?" Jeremiah asked in a jolly mood, smiling with a slight skip in his step.

"Long enough," came Damon's clipped reply. They were weaving a path into a more secluded area of the property where the plantation ended and tress gave away to the vast woods that surrounded their property.

"And Stefan?"

"Clueless."

Jeremiah chortled softly. "Yes, you do seem to smart for your own good, don't you Damon. That mouth one day will get you into trouble," Jeremiah announced slowing his pace to a halt. Damon stared up at the man with an unreadable expression.

Stefan, knowing his brother for as long as he had, could detect the small flash of fear that passes through those blue eyes while the others remained oblivious to Damon's emotions. Had Damon only just realized they were so far away from the house and civilization, and he was out there with a stranger he could barely stand, let alone trust.

Jeremiah leered down at Damon, his breath ghosting over Damon's face revealing the hint of whiskey on it. "And what a sinfully beautiful mouth you have boy. Yes, yes I do believe that mouth will get you into some tight spots in your life," he murmured softly, his words threatening even in their soft quality.

Panic flashed across Damon's face as his indifferent mask slipped and he tensed, ready to bolt for the house.

"Oh god," Alaric muttered as Damon spun around to run and Jeremiah easily caught him and dragged him to a still.

"Has anyone ever complimented you on your mouth Damon? Ever kiss a sweet little girl with those lips, heard them moan into you? Did they tell you how soft your lips were. How good you tasted? Once you get older you'll surely hear many different things about that mouth of yours and what it's best talents would be, but I already know. That sinfully beautiful mouth is perfect for sucking a cock," Jeremiah hisses, his voice low and deadly.

"Stop," Damon whimpered trying to get out of Jeremiah's grasp.

"Can't you just see yourself, pretty pink lips wrapped around someone's throbbing member?" Jeremiah crooned into Damon's ear, pulling him closer, his hands drifting over Damon's small frame.

In a blurry confused flash Damon suddenly acted and bit down on the arm that imprisoned him and with a startled shout Jeremiah let go of the squirming boy.

Just like that Damon was racing off back towards the house, away from Jeremiah. Jeremiah followed behind at a slow pace and the gang followed the memory.

"What the hell did I just see?" Bonnie murmured looking up at a white faced Stefan who looked on the urge of breaking down.

Everyone was silent, in shock, horror, disbelief. Had they really just seen that? Whatever it was, there wasn't a good enough name for it. Sexual assault, some form of molestation?

They followed Jeremiah as he followed Damon into the house but made no move to go after him. Instead he hung back until Damon ran into his father's office and then Jeremiah stood outside watching through the crack of the door, eavesdropping.

"Father," Damon panted out of breath from his sprint.

"Damon, where is Jeremiah?" Giuseppe asked coldly, not looking up from the paper he was reading on his desk.

"Father, I was out in the woods with him and he started acting strange. I was...he was touching me...and he was saying things-" Damon was cut off by a sharp smack as Giuseppe smacked the desk harshly to cut his son off.

"Enough Damon! Enough of your lies. I have listened endlessly over your mistrust of this man. He is a good man and to slander his name and accuse him of such things is unacceptable." Giuseppe snapped out harshly, glaring out of his son with a look close to hate.

"But Father-" Damon protested weakly, he looked on the verge of tears, hands coiled into fists at his sides. "I'm not lying, please, you have to believe me. He was saying things about my mouth, and he was touching me, and he-" Damon was cut off again with another smack, this time it was not the desk that suffered but the side of Damon's face that grew red from the back of Giuseppe's hand.

"Hold your tongue boy," Giuseppe snarled. "Speak again and I may cut it out," he threatened harshly.

Damon was silent for a moment, tears now freely cascading down his now bruised cheek.

"Please, just this once believe me," Damon begged softly. "He scares me, I'm scared," Damon admitted softly. Another crack resounded around the room and this time Damon was on the floor clutching his cheek in pain. His lip was split and dripping blood.

"Enough," Giuseppe snarled. "Salvatore men do not cry, they do not admit they're fears, and they do not beg," he spit out harshly emphasizing every word with a kick to Damon's crumpled form on the floor. "You disgust me, the day you were born was a bane on my existence. I should have drowned you when you were born you have brought me nothing but shame and rage. Now get out of my sight before I give you something to be sorry about. You are no son of mine," Giuseppe snarled harshly that no burning rage in his eyes that looked close to hate burned right into hate and blossomed into loathing.

"Oh god," Elena whispered, crying softly. Everyone looked shocked at the treatment Damon had received from his own father. Alaric looked pained.

"Why didn't he ever tell me any of this," he wondered softly.

"I should have known, I was too stupid to see it." Stefan muttered ashamed.

Even Bonnie and Jeremy looked grief stricken as the crying boy limped out of the office pausing as he saw Jeremiah there who was smiling so widely and his eyes a light with a cruel sort of happiness.

"Damon, what happened? Were you telling lies again?" Jeremiah crooned in Damon's ear, reveling in his new vice.

Damon looked up at the man with all the hate, rage, and pain in the world and spit directly in his face. There was a long pause where both were frozen. Once the rage broke through onto Jeremiah's face Damon tried to run again but Jeremiah was faster then that grabbing Damon by his hair and dragging him down the hallway into a room.

He pushed the struggling teen onto the bed and climbed on top of him to keep him still and began raining punches and hits, anything to make the boy beneath him feel pain. "This is for your own good Damon, you need to learn to respect your elders," Jeremiah snarled, his eyes a light with madness that made him seem insane.

Just when the onlookers thought it couldn't get any worse Jeremiah reached for the boy below him in a completely different manner and began tearing at his clothes, ripping the articles off the younger one.

"No, stop," Damon begged a mess of panicked pleas and harsh sobs. He started to scream as soon as he was unclothed and pinned but as soon as he opened his mouth to shriek Jeremiah was gagging him and binding his wrists together at the top of the bed.

"So beautiful," Jeremiah murmured as he thrust into the unwillingly body beneath him, raped and violated the virgin body. Damon eyes were wide spilling tears, full of confusion, panic, pain, but most of all hopelessness. He couldn't move, couldn't speak and even when this was over there would be no justice. His father would not listen to him, he couldn't tell his brother, what could Stefan do anyway, and Jeremiah would be here for a while.

Once the torture had ended and Jeremiah unbound Damon, put back on his own clothes, kissed Damon ever so softly on the lips, and left the room Damon was still sobbing to himself naked and broken looking on his bed that was covered in his own blood and Jeremiah's semen.

The scene started to change when Stefan started to panic. "NO, please I can't watch this anymore, it's killing me," he said as he sobbed, holding a crying Elena as well. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

"Oh god, oh god," Bonnie mumbled to herself. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Damon was far from her favorite person but he never deserved this, especially at his age.

The scene changed before any could speak and they were watching Jeremiah as he stood in Giuseppe's office.

"Honesty Giuseppe, I'm quite concerned for Damon's welfare. These fantasies he's fabricating are not healthy. I have known for quite a while...well he has been interested in me. To put it plainly my good friend he's been lusting after me. I have stopped all of his advances but really it's getting out of hand," Jeremiah rattled on an anger swelled in the room from both the onlookers and Giuseppe. Though Giuseppe was not aiming his rage towards the man in front of him as the others were, he was focused on thoughts of his eldest son.

"I will speak to him," Giuseppe replied calmly, the look of murder in his eyes.

The scene changed to find a very gleeful Jeremiah leaning against the hallway wall outside of Giuseppe's office. The door opened and very battered, abused, and bleeding Damon limped out of the door. One of his eyes were swollen shut, his cheek was cut with looked to be fingernails digging into it, there were fingerprint shaped bruises around his neck, his white shirt was covered in blood coming from the wounds he received in a severe whipping on his back, and he was silently crying to himself.

"I wish he would have left your beautiful face alone, you're so very pretty. Oh well, we must make do with what we have. Come with to my chambers unless you want me to call Giuseppe out here," Jeremiah threatened. Slowly Damon shook his head, blood dripping onto the floors and limped behind Jeremiah to his chambers.

"Please, I can't see anymore," Stefan begged and Bonnie choked out the words to end the spell. They were all back in the boardinghouse, huddled in a circle looking horrified and shell shocked.

"Oh god, oh god," Alaric murmured.

Hours later the spell was cleaned up and they were still all sitting around the living room lost in their own thoughts. It was then that Damon finally entered the house.

"Well that trip was a bust, it wasn't what we were looking for, wasn't even a Salvatore heirloom, just some cheap knock off," Damon grouched tossing his jacket at the coat rack. He was met with silence.

"Who died?" he asked teasingly as he saw everyone looking up at him with somber expressions.

"We found something in our father's journal. A name, Jeremiah Smith," Stefan said, meeting his brother's eyes with an unreadable expression.

They all watched and waited for some kind of reaction, all Damon did was shrug. "Never heard the name. You think Giuseppe just gave some random dude the artifact?" he scoffed, pouring himself a drink.

"Damon," Stefan started slowly, rising to meet his brother. "We found the name and Bonnie did a spell to see memories of this Jeremiah Smith, well the memories of when he came to Mystic Falls..." Stefan trailed off.

Damon stilled, Stefan could see his jaw was clenched tight, his knuckled were white as he held onto the edge of the table. "Damon," Stefan whispered his brother's name, tears welling in his eyes as he reached out for his brother.

No one was expecting Damon to punch Stefan in the face so hard he flew across the room.

"Damon!" Elena yelled shocked.

"And what Stefan? What did you see?" Damon snarled, his eyes a light with fury and rage. "_What did you see_," Damon hissed, rounding on all of them.

"We saw what he did to you," Alaric answered softly, meeting his friend's eyes steadily if sadly.

Damon's laughter was harsh and cold. "What he did to _me_? You saw nothing. You haven't seen the full story. Why don't you take us back there witch? You just love to peer in to someone else's life. Let's have ourselves a movie night," Damon ordered with malice, looming over Bonnie.

"Damon-" Bonnie started looking nervous.

"We've already seen everything Damon, you don't have to act like this!" Stefan shouted.

" Like I said _brother, _you haven't seen anything yet. Now witch," he snarled at Bonnie and she hurriedly set up the spell again not wanting to deal with this Damon. She had never seen him so angry so livid.

In an instant they were back to the Salvatore mansion watching Damon limp down the hall after Jeremiah.

"Damon," Stefan started again looking worried. Damon silenced him with a glare.

"Come here Damon," Jeremiah ordered, Damon obeyed all the fight had been beaten out of him by his father. He had nothing left to give. Damon crawled up on the bed and sat there next to Jeremiah. Everyone but Damon braced themselves for something awful and brutal. Instead Jeremiah pulled out a cloth and grabbed the bowl of water next to his bed and started to clean the blood off of Damon's face.

There was only silence and the shallow breathing of the past Damon.

"Lie down," Jeremiah ordered again, Damon clenched his eyes shut and lowered himself slowly onto the bed. He felt Jeremiah crawl up next to him and he braced himself expecting to feel man start to tug at his clothes.

"Relax Damon, just rest," Jeremiah whispered and curled around the back of Damon, pulling the smaller boy into his chest as he lifted the covers over them. Damon's eyes were wide with disbelief and surprise, well except for the eye that was swollen shut. He waited and waited for Jeremiah to do something but only felt the man's arms around him. Slowly Damon closed his eyes and allowed his body to relax.

"Damon," Stefan started to say something once more, but he was at a loss for words. What had he just seen?

The next memory flashed by. Damon was peering around the door into Jeremiah's room. He found the man on the bed lounging half clothed.

"Y-you sent for me?" Damon asked unsure, clutching the envelope a slave had handed him.

"And you came," Jeremiah responded, leering at Damon. "Why?"

Damon came in to the room and closed the door behind him. He shrugged.

"Gentlemen don't shrug Damon," Jeremiah reprimanded looking bored.

"I don't know, I wanted to see you," Damon admitted hurriedly looking nervous.

"And why did you want to see me Damon?" Jeremiah questioned again. "Is it my charming company? My quick wit? The pleasure I could show you if you would only allow me to show you," he rattled off with a wolfish grin.

Damon met Jeremiah's eyes steadily, searching the older man's eyes. "Why did you not attack me last week. Why did you let me sleep?" he asked curiously, inching closer.

"You were tired Damon, honestly not everyone has an ulterior motive," Jeremiah answered exasperated. "Now will you come over here?" Damon came to stand before the bed watching the man sit on his knees to be level with the boy.

"Why did you send for me?" Damon whispered looking nervous, his cheeks adorned with a faint blush.

"For the pleasure of your company Damon, I find you pleasurable," Jeremiah teased. "Come closer," he purred.

Damon leaned forward, his knees pressed to the edge of the bed, his mouth so close to Jeremiah's only an inch away. On a burst of impulse Damon leaned forward suddenly and connected his lips with the other pair in front of him.

Jeremiah laughed into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Damon's waist and pulled the younger boy onto his lap.

"My, my Damon how bold you've become," Jeremiah teased as Damon ruthlessly attacked his mouth, trailing his lips down to the man's neck.

"Show me," Damon demanded, holding onto the other man as if he would fall off the edge of the world.

"Show you what my darling boy?"

"Pleasure," Damon answered breathlessly, squirming in Jeremiah's lap as his trousers became uncomfortably tight, and he started to sweat under the heavy collar of his shirt. As Jeremiah started to unbutton his own trousers the scene quickly changed.

"You fast forwarded through the best part, witch," Damon scowled at Bonnie who was blushing.

They were back in Jeremiah's room, thankfully Jeremiah and Damon were both fully clothed. Damon looked older, maybe eighteen now and his right cheek was bruised. Jeremiah was stroking it and kissing it.

"I wish Giuseppe could stop marring your perfect face love," Jeremiah crooned. He was holding Damon on his lap, Damon's back pressed into his chest, his arms around Damon's waist.

"Yeah, me too," Damon muttered dryly. They continued on in silence, just sitting and relaxing.

"I love you," Damon murmured settling deeper into the man's embrace. Jeremiah smiled and kissed the top of Damon's curly head. "I love you too Damon, I will never leave you," he promised.

The scene changed again but this time Jeremiah was not the focus of this memory, he was not even in it.

"Father!" Damon burst through his father's office doors.

"What is it?" his father snapped, looking impatient.

"I cannot find Jeremiah, do you know where he is?" Damon questioned trying not look concerned.

"He has left," Giuseppe answered simply.

Damon froze. "What do you mean he has left? Left where?"

"Back to his home, in Europe. Damon I have no time for idiotic questions," Giuseppe snarled, glaring at his son.

"Why did he leave?" Damon questioned more urgently looking frantic.

"I had thought I had beaten this 'obsession' out of you Damon. Mr. Smith is gone, he will not be returning, and it is none of your concern why he has left," Giuseppe answered dangerously.

Something in the boy snapped and he slammed his hands down on Giuseppe's desk top, scattering papers and knocking over a crystal tumbler. "Why did he leave?" Damon demanded looking furious.

"You will not disrespect me in my own house boy!" Giuseppe bellowed and before he could exact revenge on Damon he had fled out the door to Jeremiah's room.

It was empty of all the man's belongings, the sheets stripped off the bed. He was gone.

"You promised!" Damon screamed throwing the nearest object he could against the wall.

The scene ended and they were once again back in the boardinghouse.

"As you can see he did nothing to me, that I didn't ask for," Damon said coldly, leaving the room before anything more could be said, leaving silence in his wake.

XXX

"Damon, stop and talk to me!" Stefan yelled after his brother as he raced from the room.

"And what would you like to talk about little brother," Damon asked nonchalantly as he sipped from a whiskey glass.

Stefan was at a loss for words at first until Elena joined him.

"You have to know Damon that-that what happened to you it wasn't something you asked for and certainly wasn't your fault," she told him tears in her eyes.

Damon responded with an eye roll.

"Damon he abused you, physically and sexually," Stefan choked on the last word, the truth still hard to bear at the moment.

"Do you think I'm stupid. Of course I know that. I'm not a fucking idiot," Damon snapped, murder in his eyes.

"Then why-" Elena started confused.

"Of course I knew he was using for some sick perverted little boy fetish. But as you all saw my Father was clearly not a loving man so I took whatever I could get. He was a sick fuck but he loved me in his own freakish way and I needed that growing up with dear old Dad. The man hated my guts and would beat me if I breathed wrong. So just back off with your pitying looks," Damon's words were harsh and effectively Elena and Stefan.

"Now can we get back to the real problem, that damn artifact. Looks like we have another grave to dig up," and with that Damon stalked from the room.

Elena and Stefan hurried after him, pausing only to quickly explain to the others where they were going before heading out into the night with Damon.

"He was buried in Mystic Falls?" Elena asked cautiously as they headed into the cemetery.

"Around the time Katherine was staying with us he came back to Mystic Falls, secretly of course to play vampire hunter with the other town folk. Stupid bastard got killed and was thus buried here," Damon explained, his words clipped and cold.

Stefan and Elena said nothing as Damon's shovel bit into the grave. Stefan and Damon made quick work of the grave as Elena kept watch above. Damon pried the old wooden door to the coffin off easily and they all peered into the darkness.

"Fucking bastard, never made anything easy," Damon cursed as he stared into the empty grave.

"But where is he?" Elena asked confused.

"I'm sure Katherine knows, she loved to stick her nose in everything around her," Damon mused pulling out his cellphone.

"Katherine, where the hell is Jeremiah Smith," Damon wasted no time with pleasantries.

"Nice to talk to you too Damon. I'm doing fine, thank you for asking," Katherine's lilting tone came from the phone.

"Answer the question."  
"He's in California."

"Why the hell would he be buried in California?" Stefan questioned loud enough for Katherine to hear.

"He's not buried, he's walking and talking around California. Just another person who said they loved Damon and left him. I see a pattern emerging," Katherine teased.

Damon hung up the phone before he was likely to crush it into tiny pieces, rage boiling inside of him.

"Damon," Elena whispered his name cautiously as if he would break.

"Looks like were taking a road trip," Damon announced with an air of calm as he walked back to the car.

XXX

Bonnie had been hard at work with a location spell to find out exactly where Jeremiah was in California. Once they got the name of the town the trip was in motion.

Stefan, Elena, and Alaric were packing the car one sunny morning.

"Spring break couldn't have come at a better time," Elena mused grimly, not pleased with the thought of meeting the monster that had hurt Damon.

Stefan was trying to convince Damon to not come along.

"Are you sure you want to come. You don't have to, you don't have to see him," Stefan tried to reason with his brother gently worried for his mental state.

"For the thousandth time Stefan, back off," Damon snarled. "I'm going," he announced with finality, hopping into the driver's seat.

The road trip was tense, awkward, and long. By the time they crossed the state line for California all there nerves were on edge as they could feel Damon's mood in the car. He was acting nonchalant but his fingers were gripping the steering wheel so hard they were turning white.

Damon parked the car outside of the motel building that Bonnie saw Jeremiah living in using the location spell.

"Wait here," Damon snapped as he got out of the car.

"No fucking way!" Stefan yelled getting out of the car too. Alaric and Elena followed too.

"Stefan," Damon growled in a warning voice.

"We are not leaving you alone with that bastard," Stefan said not backing down. Damon saw the determination in Stefan's eyes and knew his brother wasn't going to stay put without a fight and he didn't feel like killing his brother at the moment.

"Whatever," Damon dismissed him quickly walking towards room 1B.

They all crowded around the door. Damon and Stefan exchanged furious glances as Stefan tried to muscle his way in front of Damon protectively. Damon wasted no time with pleasantry knocking, choosing instead to kick down the door revealing the man that left him all those years ago.

"You're paying for that," Jeremiah's drawl came from the middle of the room. He almost looked the same with his curly black mane, his sun tanned skin, and strong physique. He didn't look older then thirty at the most.

Damon hesitated on the threshold of the door, not because he needed an invitation.

"Come in Damon," Jeremiah spoke softly, a wolfish grin lighting his face. Damon stepped forward toward the man and promptly punched him. Jeremiah flew back into the wall, hitting it with a thud.

"Damon!" Elena shouted surprised.

"Is that any way to treat an old friend?" Jeremiah asked laughing as he swiped the blood from his lip.

"We were never friends," Damon snapped looking murderous.

"Is that any way to treat an old lover?" Jeremiah teased standing up.

"It is if they leave you with no explanation," Damon answered coldly.

"Oh Damon, my Damon. Don't be angry with me, I had to leave," Jeremiah crooned, reaching his hand up to stroke Damon's cheek when Stefan finally spoke.

"Don't you fucking dare touch him."

Jeremiah's eyes were drawn away from Damon to his brother.

"Stefan, my how you have grown. In more ways then one, finally got a spine did you?"

Stefan didn't bother to respond.

"We're here for John Gilbert's device, to incapacitate the Originals," Damon told him in a guarded voice.

"And what my dear Damon would you want with that?" Jeremiah asked amused.

"They're in Mystic Falls, taking over my town. Do you have it or not?" Damon snarled.

"I do not," Jeremiah answered simply still smiling like the cat who caught the mouse.

"What the hell did you do with?" Damon yelled looking furious as he clenched his fists.

"I gave it to someone very special to me. Don't give me that look Damon, you simple fool I gave it to you," he revealed.

"What are you talking about?"

With snake like quickness Jeremiah reached out, dipping his hand into the front pocket of Damon's jeans. Stefan stepped forward quickly ready to kill the man in front of him.

Jeremiah backed up revealing a small silver pocket watch.

"You still kept it on you after all these years," Jeremiah mused with a smirk so like Damon's. "This is the device you seek. Figure out how it works and you can kill all the Originals you want. Of course only a Bennet witch could activate it."

Damon snatched the way quickly from Jeremiah's outstretched hand. "Good for us I didn't destroy it," Damon snapped glaring at Jeremiah.

"A 140 years is a long time to hold of grudge Damon," Jeremiah said with a mischievous smirk.

"I'm good at holding them."

"Why don't you ditch the overprotective crowd that's trying to kill me with their eyes and I can make it up to you," Jeremiah suggested with a leer, leaning closer to Damon.

"Not likely," Damon answered with one of his famous smirks. Stefan frowned. They were flirting, in front of him.

"I'm sure I'll wear you down eventually."

"All the way from California to Virginia?" Damon asked skeptically.

"Oh Damon, you don't think I'm going to let you go so easily, do you?" Jeremiah asked with a seductive smile.

"You did before," Damon answered with a cruel smile.  
"I was clearly out of my mind."

"Agreed."  
"You are not coming back to Mystic Falls," Stefan finally stepped into the conversation, moving in front of Damon to stare coldly at Jeremiah.

"And who's going to stop me?"

"Me." Stefan answered getting in Jeremiah's face.

"Okay little brother, lower the testosterone level. Once again I'm not a fucking damsel in distress and you are not my knight in shining armor. Jeremiah can do whatever the hell he wants. If he wants to follow me like a lost puppy, so be it. He'll be gone soon enough though, he doesn't like to stick around," Damon pushed Stefan out of the way to lock eyes with Jeremiah.

"That sharp tongue has only grown sharper with age. Have you forgotten the trouble that tongue used to get you in?" Jeremiah asked dangerously clearly not pleased with this older Damon.

"What are you going to do about it? Hold me down and have your way with me? I'm stronger now," Damon snarled looking deadly.

The tension in the room was palpable. Damon and Jeremiah were facing off, neither willing to back down until finally Jeremiah let a smirk slip onto his face and he laughed deeply.

"My stubborn Damon," he crooned reaching out towards the younger vampire. Damon deflected him easily.

"Sorry, we've got some Originals to get rid of," Damon dismissed him readily and turned to walk out the door. Of course Jeremiah was close on his heels.

"Why don't you ride back with me Damon? Share some quality alone time together?" Jeremiah suggested with a shit eating grin.

"No fucking way," Stefan snarled before Damon could respond.

"If you think you can seduce your way back into my pants with a few cute smiles you've got a lot to learn darling," and with that Damon got into the car and drove away not looking back.

"You're seriously going to let him come back to Mystic Falls?" Stefan rounded on his brother as soon as they got onto the highway.

"He can do whatever he wants Stefan. Truth be told more vampires on our side when we face Klaus and his family means we're less likely to die."

"Do-do you still have feelings for him?" Elena asked cautiously, worry in her brown eyes.

Damon's silence spoke louder than any response he could think up.

"Do you?" Stefan demanded angrily.

"I don't know. Calm the fuck down Stefan. What is it with you lately?" Damon snapped glaring at his brother.

"Are you serious? After 140 years I just found out what the fuck your life was like, not from you of course. I found out that bastard raped and abused you. That our father was the hugest douchebag on the face of the universe. I'm a little fucking pissed Damon. Why didn't you tell me?" Stefan demanded. "Where was I when all that was happening to you? How the fuck did I never notice?"

"You were outside playing like kids should. Of course I wasn't going to tell my eleven year old brother. What could you have done?" Damon asked cruelly.

"I could have been there for you," Stefan muttered softly.

Damon was silent for a while, gripping the steering wheel. "You were," he answered softly, staring straight ahead. Damon shrugged. "It wasn't that bad. I survived."

The rest of the road trip was continued on in silence until it was dark out and Alaric suggested they pull up at a roadside motel to rest. They stumbled out of the car all exhausted in between the driving to California and the tension. Stefan visibly tensed when another car pulled up next to them.

"Wanna share a room darling?" Jeremiah asked, smirking as he got out of the car.

"Over your dead body," Stefan snarled, grabbing onto Damon's arm to forcefully lead him to his and Elena's room.

"Stefan," Damon snarled, pushing his brother away. "I am not sleeping with you and Elena. Calm yourself."

Jeremiah smirked at Stefan like he had won. "I'm not sleeping in your room either buddy boy. Come on Ric," Damon snapped tightly shooting everyone a "fuck off" look.

"He your new fuck buddy?" Jeremiah asked with barely concealed jealousy. Damon didn't even bother to respond, he shot Jeremiah a withering look and slammed the door.

There was a tense moment when Elena and Alaric thought Stefan was about to attack Jeremiah when he finally turned to Alaric. "Keep an eye on him, don't let him out of your sight. If that bastard tries anything, kill him," Stefan ordered and then retreated to his room.

Alaric sighed. When had his life become so complicated.

They arrived in Mystic Falls late the next night, the others all waiting up for them.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Caroline greeted them at the door, immediately recognizing Jeremiah.

"I really wouldn't believe everything Damon tells you, he likes to lie," Jeremiah snarked with an amused smile.

"Yeah well he didn't tell us anything asshole. We saw everything," Jeremy retorted back, glaring fiercely. Damon was an asshole, but he was their asshole.

"Protective bunch," Jeremiah muttered, glancing at Damon.

"He is not staying here," Bonnie announced with a determined look.

"If you want my help, I am," Jeremiah replied with an ugly sneer.

"We don't want your help!" Stefan yelled looking murderous.

"We need his help. Drop it. The room down the hall to the left his empty," Damon told Jeremiah with a clipped cold tone.

"Don't you wanna share a bed baby?" Jeremiah crooned.

Damon shot him a defiant look.

"That's alright, you don't have to admit with all these nosy busy bodies around. I'll see you tonight darling," and he blew Damon a kiss as he left to his room.

"Let's kill him," Caroline snarled.

"After we kill the Originals," Damon replied pouring a large glass of brandy.

"Did you get the device?" Bonnie asked. Damon took out the silver pocket watch he had carried since the day Jeremiah left. He tossed it at Bonnie.

"Go crazy," he muttered and turned to leave.

"Damon, stay away from him," Stefan warned with a determined look. Something in Damon seemed to snap. He flashed across the room and into Stefan's face.

"For fuck's sake Stefan. I am not a fucking child and you do not control me. I can do whatever the fuck I want with who I want!" Damon snarled, baring his fangs at Stefan. "When the hell did you get so damn protective. What the fuck do you care?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Stefan roared looking angrier then ever. The others back up, preparing for a full on brother fight. "Do you have any idea how much it killed me to see what that fucking bastard did you. How much it kills me for him to be in our house. He belongs rotting in hell Damon, not bunking with us! It's taking every ounce of self control not to rip his fucking head off, because you deserve to do that, after what he did to you! I don't understand why you don't want to kill him!"

"He didn't do anything to me that I didn't fucking like Stefan! Get that through your fat head!" Damon screamed at his brother.

"That's a fucking lie Damon. I saw you, I saw the pain and the anger, the hopelessness in your eyes. I saw him rape you and I saw how it destroyed you. You can't just pretend that everything is fine and that you're okay because you're clearly in denial. He raped you, and you didn't fucking like it, you didn't fucking ask for it, and you didn't fucking deserve it!" Stefan roared, shaking Damon forcefully.

Alaric was trying to shuffle everyone out of the living room to give the brother some privacy to scream at each other.

"You think because you saw a couple of my memories you know me?" Damon asked dangerously.

"I've always known you Damon. I know you're hurting and you don't want anyone to know, but too fucking bad. I'm not going to ignore what that bastard did just so you can too."

Damon was quiet for a long time, not meeting Stefan's eyes anymore.

"He is the only one who ever loved me, just me," Damon whispered in a broken voice, meeting Stefan's eyes. The unspoken 'and not you' hung between them.

"That's not love Damon. If he ever loved you, he would have never hurt you," Stefan replied defiantly.

"So you're saying no one has ever loved me. Great, thanks Stef," Damon scoffed, his eyes bright.

"I love you," Stefan responded in a small voice. Those three words threw Damon, he almost looked shocked before he could get his report back.

"Thanks Stefan, but I don't want to fuck you, mmkay?" With that Damon left the room, traveling upstairs.

XXX

A day passed in tense silence and looks that could kill. Jeremiah sauntered around the house like he owned it while Damon hung back in the shadows in a foul mood. Stefan was finding it hard to resist the urge to burn Jeremiah alive.

Everyone was barely keeping it together. The house felt like the calm before the storm, everything seemed okay but everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting for it all to blow up. Which didn't take very long at all.

"I will rip your fucking hands off," Damon warned in a dangerous tone as Jeremiah once again rested his hand on the curve of Damon's ass. Instead of making a quick retort Jeremiah slammed Damon into the nearest wall.

"My, my how violent you've become. Don't make me remind you how annoyed I can get of that sharp tongue Damon," Jeremiah threatened.

"Go fuck yourself," Damon snarled looking murderous. Before anyone could react there was a resounding smack bouncing off the walls. Everyone turned to look. Damon's head was bent, a trickle of blood seeping out from the corner of his lips.

Before Damon could do anything Stefan came in like a bulldozer, taking Jeremiah and throwing him clear across the room, away from Damon.

"You're fucking dead," Stefan announced with murder in his eyes.

"So like your father Stefan, he was quick to anger too," Jeremiah said with a chuckle as he picked himself up. Then he turned to look at Damon, his mouth twisting into a smirk. "He knew, by the way. What I was doing to you. One of your slaves saw us together and told him. He killed her of course and then came to see me. Gave me his blessing as long as I never touched Stefan. He thought it was a great idea actually, but then again he never knew how much you liked it," Jeremiah snarled with an unhinged look and cold smile.

"You fucking bastard," Stefan snarled charging at Jeremiah again but this time Jeremiah was ready. He flung Stefan aside like he weighed nothing.

"Guess it shows how much you're really worth. You're own father couldn't raise of a finger to care about you. He adored Stefan though. Then again everyone else seems to. You're nothing but an after thought my darling," Jeremiah crooned coming closer to Damon who had locked eyes with him. His face completely void of any emotion.

"Then maybe you should fuck Stefan instead," Damon snarled a hint of anger disfiguring his face.

That was the wrong thing to say according to Jeremiah. He grabbed Damon by the front of his shirt shoving him further into the wall.

"Watch your tongue my dear, it wouldn't be a complete loss to me to cut it out," Jeremiah threatened with cold fury."You can still suck my dick without a tongue," he hissed grotesquely.

"That's it!" Elena yelled. "Jeremiah, get the hell out of here before I put a stake through your heart!"

"Why don't you let Damon tell me to leave, bitch," Jeremiah suggested with a crooked grin.

"Go ahead Damon, tell him to get lost. You don't need him," Elena begged. "You don't deserve this."

Jeremiah scoffed. "Oh my dear, Damon deserves everything that he gets. The little fucking bastard. It would be kinder to put you down."

Damon was still silent, a storm brewing in his eyes.

"I did consider focusing my attentions on Stefan, but I decided to pick the easier one," he said cruelly with a wicked grin. Damon snapped like a rubber band, quickly and with force. He broke a nearby chair with a swift kick, grabbing one of the wooden legs and forcefully shoving it into Jeremiah's chest.

Jeremiah stood with wide eyes filled with disbelief. "A little close there Day," he gasped out as he tugged on the wooden leg that was inches from his heart.

Damon stopped him, angling the piece of wood up farther. "Give me one good reason." Damon spoke softly, in an imitation of calm though his voice was filled with underlying anger.

"Who else have you got?" Jeremiah hissed with a sliver of fear in his eyes.

The room was silent except for Jeremiah's whimpering gasp as Damon dug the stake in farther. Damon struck like a snake in one swift motion. His lips came to meet Jeremiah's open mouth, dragging him in for a bruising kiss.

"Wrong answer," Damon mumbled softly against Jeremiah's lips, jerking the stake up, letting the wood pierce Jeremiah's heart. His body fell to the floor with a final thud as his skin turned grey. Damon's lips turned up at the corner in what could have been a smile but turned more into a grimace as he stared down at the body of his tormentor.

XXX

"Need a hand?" Stefan asked as he approached his brother who was slamming the shovel into the ground with such ferocity it was a wonder it hadn't broken yet. Damon looked up ready to snap that he was fine. He shrugged in a noncommittal way like he couldn't care either way. Stefan brought his own shovel down on the cold earth helping dig Jeremiah's grave.

"I'm proud of you," Stefan spoke softly as he worked. Damon said nothing back but continued to dig.


End file.
